Automatic music-sheet tracker for player instruments



J. T. RYDBERG.

AUTOMATIC MUSIC SHEET TRACKER FOR PLAYER INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23,1917.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

3/ JZEjdbe/y J. T. RYDBERG. AUTOMATIC MUSIC SHEET TRACKER FOR PLAYER INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1917. 1,373,100.

9 Jffi dbez Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. T; RYD-BEBG. AUTOMATIC MUSIC SHEET TRACKE'B'FOR PLAYER INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28' I917- 1,373,100. Patented Mar.29,1921.

4 $HEETSSHEET 3.

an we ufoz qwy V aftozncqd J. T. RYDBERG. AUTOMATIC MUSIC SHEET TRACKER FOR PLAYER INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28,191].

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN '1. RYDIBERG, OE HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC MUSIC-SHEET TRACKER FOR PLAYER INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application filed September 28, 1917. Serial No. 193,765.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern i Be it known that 1, JOHN T. Bromine, a citizen oi"- the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Music-Sheet Trackers for Player Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

T he present invention has to do with devices commercially known as automatic music sheet trackers designed for cooperaion with automatic player pianos by means of which the proper relation between the traveling note sheet and the tracker is maintained.

In this character of mechanism there are several considerations which become important in order to produce a practical arrangement, amongwhich may be mentioned simplicity and stability of structure to prevent likelihood of the device getting out of order and requiring expert mechanics to repair; elimination of valve complications; adaptability to conventional types of player instruments; positiveness and quickness of the control means; and last, but not least, the provision for operation without fail regardless of the condition of the note sheet as to irregularities of the edges or other portions due to wear and tear and atmospheric changes.

A It is with these phases in mind that I have conceived the invention of this application which is simply designed for attachment to well known players without material alteration in their construction, and possessing the several features of advantage above referred to as well as others.

The invention consists of a pneumatic embodying a movable member which under normal conditions or" operation of the travcling note sheet is efiected by balancing pressure or tension at opposite sides and controlled through the instrumentality of operative connection with supplemental apertures in the tracker or trackerbar, said apertures immediately becoming operative upon abnormal movement of the note sheet effecting a relative movement of the parts to thereby normalize feeding of said sheet onto the take-up roll.

Special features of my invention include the provision of suitable conduits on the.

trackerbar into which the supplemental apertures aforesaid open, and means for equalizing the lateral pressure on the music roll whereby the pneumatic may be normally free of outside pressure so as to be quickly responsive to shift the roll support'tor effecting relative movement of the note sheet with respect to the tracker-bar.

Ofconsiderable importance is, firstly, the combination with the pneumatic of means for controlling its action so that its movements in the normalizing of the travel of the music note sheet will be accomplished quickly and positively but with a decided absence of objectionable jerkiness, this being the function of what 1 term neutralizing or pressure checking valves forming a part of the invention; and, secondly, the special connection intermediate the movable element of the pneumatic and the shiftable music spool such that a minimum amount of pressure or power is required to produce the desired movement of said spool, thereby conducing to sensitiveness of action, a very important desideratum in this art.

Subsidiary to the foregoing, but of equal importance, is the combination with the tracking control means above referred to, of means for rendering said control means inoperative, which said means is operable incident to the rewinding of the note sheet upon the music spool so that such rewinding will be accomplished smoothly and without tearing of the; edges of the note sheet.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically doscribed and claimed. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein t Figure l is a front elevation 01"- controlling mechanism embodying this invention, parts being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi: my attachment, parts being broken away and shown in section to disclose certain air passages;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the pneumatic showing more clearly the lever connection between the movable member of the pneumatic and the music spool;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of the upper section of the controlling valve or wind chest for the pnuematic;

7 device and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bottom section of said chest; 4 r

V Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the plane indicated byrthe line 7 -7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View on the plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the track- 7 erbar, and note sheet, showing more p 211 tlcularly the arrangement of the auxil ary openings; 7

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view through the pneumatic;

Fig. 11 is a section on Fig; 10;

' i .12 is'a sectional the line 1111 of g view of the venting Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view showing the application of the venting device in bottom plan.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the trackerbar frame of a player piano of desirable for the following reason. The

note sheet 6 is provided with the usual perforations 7 which perforations are narrower than the note orifices l in the bar 3 and will pass between a pair of the supplemental apertures 5 during normal travel of the music sheet but any deflection of the sheet from such normal travel will expose a supplemental aperture'before the operative area of a note perforationis affected. The

exposure of the supplementalapertures as referred to above causes the operation of the centralizing control device, as hereinafter more clearly pointed out. v

At the leftside the tracker frame 1 is provided with the usual yieldable, spring actuated music roll spindle 8, and at the opposite side is a coacting yieldable spindle .9. This last mentioned spindle I make spring actuated also and I employ in this connection springs of equal tension. It is important in the construction of this device thatthe music roll supports 8 and 9 should have equalizing pressure as this controls the normal position of the movable element of apneumatic hereinafter referred to.

Connected to the sideof the transmission frame 2 in am desired manner is, a double 7 J pneumatic 10.

' the stationary sides 11 and a movable partitlon 12 intermediate said sides which divides the pneumatic into two ohambersor com- This pneumatic, comprises partments 12, 12 and each compartment is operatively connected with the tension chamber 13 of the valve controlling means for saidpneumatic by apassage 1a. The tension chamber 13 is in turn connected by a suitable conduit 15 with the usual bellows for the instrument, not illustratedherein'.

Just above the note orifices 4% in the trackerbar are arranged a pair of conduits 16 each having a series of openings which coincide with theop'enings -5 in the trackerbar, and these conduits are each connected byflexib'le tubes 17 with the respective pouches 18 of the valve controlling means. Furthermore the valves 19 are therein mounted and each is controlled from the supplemental apertures in'the trackerbar as will be later described in setting forth the operation of this invention. I

The foregoing mechanism comprises the means for shifting the music spool as is accomplished through the instrumentality of an operative connection between the mov-' able member 12 and the spindle 9.. 'T-his connection consistsof a lever 20 which is pivotally mounted at 21: intermediate its length beneath the" pneumatic 10 and its rear extremity is connected to the movable member 12 of said pneumatic by the fasten 111g means 22 'WllllQ the forward end, of Said,

lever extends into the annular groove 23 of an adgustable collar 24 attached to the outer extremity of the spindle 9. It will be understood that this collar is fixed by the ct screw 25 for rotation with the spindle readily permitted by the connection aforesaid, but upon movement of the member12 laterally the spindle is shifted longitudinally in one direction or another ascentrolled by the functioning of the pneumatic 10 and determined by the shifting of the music sheetfrom its normal path of travel.

Attached to the forward end of the pneumatic 10 is bloclr 26 provided with separate channels 27 and 28, the former communicating with the pneumatic chamber 12 and thelatter with its companion chamber 12. provided with a bleed regulator 28Popen through the uppe face of the block 26 as shown most clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the entrances thereof having felt or similar mufllers 26 seated therein to prevent whistling as the air is intalren under heavy suction, and these'openings are controlled by a valve 29 which is connected with the outer end of the movable member 12 of the pneumatic so as to shift laterally to uncover one or the other the entrances to these channels when said movable member is shifted. The last mentioned valve means, as hereinbefore premised, is an importantfeature of this mechanism since it is designed to perform a braking function whereby the member 12 wlll be moved steadily so as to effect a cor- These channels which are preferably responding shifting of the music sheet. It is very desirable in tracking music sheets that the music spool be moved positively in normalizing the travel but without any abruptness for the reason thatsudden movement tends to cause a curling of the edge of the music sheet or to tear said music sheet and thus defeat the object for which the shifting mechanism is provided, or at least reduce the effectiveness of such mecha- ,nism in accomplishing the desired result.

It may also be explained at this'point that the movable member 12 of the pneumatic might readily be directlyconnected with the spindle collar 24: but such direct connection does not provide as sensitive a control as is desired. In other words, by reason of the connection of the lever 20 at its rear end to the movable member at a point relatively near to the pivoted end of the movable member it will be apparent that it will take less pressure in the tension chambers of the pneumatic to effect movement of said movable member than if this connection were made at a point farther from the pivoted end said movable member orv in the plane of the spindle 9. This is due to the greater leverage aiforned by the peculiar connection above described.

1 preferably dispose the supplemental apertures in the trackerbar adjacent to certain of the note orifices 4 intermediate the length of said bar and in sui'licicnt numbers to insure that certain ofsaid apertures will always be operative regardless and inclependent of the edges of the note sheet which are most subject to mutilation.

In operation it will be obvious that during the normal travel of the music sheet the supplemental apertures 5 are closed by the material which lies between the respective note perforations of the music sheet and so long as neither one nor the other of these openings, having reference to a pair of openings adjacent to a single trackerbar orifice, is uncovered the music sheet is permitted to travel in its normal path, but should said sheet for one reason or another shift laterally so as to uncover one'of the openings atmosphere will'be admitted into one of the conduits l7 and into the pouch with which it is connected. This immediately causes a lifting of the valve 19 above said pouch whereupon the member 19 of said valve closes the entrance of the passage 1.4 into said chamber while the member 19 of said valve opens said passage to the atmosphere. In this manner the atmosphere is admitted into the pneumatic tension chamber at one side of the movable Having in 'to need specific description.

view the unbalancing of the tension in the chambers of the pneumatic this movement of the member 12 is sudden. To overcome this abrupt motion is the function of the controlling valve 29. As soon as the movable member shifts laterally in the manner above described the entrance of one of the passages 27 or 28 is partly uncovered, admitting atmosphere into the opposite tension chamber of the pneumatic so as to more or less neutralize the tension which is pro duced by the main bellows, this of course depending upon the extent uncovering of tie particular opening. The result of this admission of atmosphere into said opposite chamber is to check sudden movement of this movable member 1 so that the move ment which is transmitted to the music spool will be a steady movement toward normalizing of the travel of the note sheet and when said sheet reaches a position in which the said supplemental aperture 5 is again covered the movement of said member is arrested. It will be apparent that the shifting of the music sheet laterally so as to uncover the other of a pair of supplemental openings will. effect the shifting of the sheet in the reverse direction to that just described through a similar action of the valve control means and the pneumatic. With this arrangement it is practically impossible for the music sheet to digress from its normal path to any extent and regardless of the condition of mutilation of the note sheet it is capable of being tracked by such mechanism.

The foregoing describes the control means by which the proper travel of the music note sheet inv passing to the take-up roll is regulated and it now remains to set forth the means whereby such mechanism is rendered inoperative so far as functioning during the reversal or rewinding of the note sheet is concerned. The actuating or driving instrumentalities for causing the note sheet to wind upon the take-up roll and which are mounted in the frame 2 are too well known Suiiice it to note that they include the reversing or rewind lever 30 shiftable by a manipulative connection 31 to cause the reverse movement of the note sheet in the well known manner.

Secured adjacent to the lower end of'the frame 2 so as to be contiguous to the lever 30 is a venting device comprising a valve block 32 in which the nipples 33 are mounted. Conduits 34, 34' lead from the respective nipples to the pneumatic 10 which is I also provided with nipples 35, 35 by which communication with each of the: compartments 12 and 12 is established. A cut-off lever or valve 36 is pivotally secured to the block 32 and normally covers the entrances to the conduits 34;, 34;. The end of the lever 36 extends into the path of movement of the rewind lever 30 when the latter ismoved toward the left for disconnecting the drive to the take-up spool and reversing the music spoolso'that upon such movement of the rewind lever the cut-0d valve is unseated and'the conduits 3a, 3a opened to the atmosphere which is thus admitted to the compartmentsat opposite sides o'f the movable .member 12.

' The obvious result of the admission of atmospheric pressure is to virtually lock this movable member against movement or render it inoperative to effect material shifting of the music spool. The note sheet will then rewind smoothly and without tendency to'bind against the edges of the frame 1.

The device which is above described is very simple in construction and owing to its lack of complicacy may readily be applied to player instruments of conventional types and i om the manu'fa turing standpoint the apparatusmay be cheaply constructed while affording effective operation for tracking purposes.

of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims. 7 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with mechanism for producing relativemovement between tie music note sheet and the tracker, of means for producing a retardation of such movement whereby toprevent jerkiness of action of the shifting mechanism aforesaid.

2. In a music tracking device of the class 7 described, the combination with mechanism for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the tracker, ofmeans gradually increasing in effectiveness for checking abrupt shifting action of the mechanism aforesaid.

3. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with mechanism for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the tracker and valve means for controlling said mechanism, of means for neutralizing the eflectiveness of the mechanism aforesaid operable incident to the operation of said mechanism under control of the valve means.

4. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with a music spool and tracker bar and a centralizing device operatively connected to one of sald members-for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the bar, of means for producing a braking action on the centralizing device whereby to restore the sheet to its normal path of travel steadily;

5. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with a music device. r

'7. in a music tracking device of the class described, the combination of a music spool,

It will be apparent that slight changes may be readily made in the details chambers when spool and tracker bar and a centralizing device operatively connected to one of said memberslfor producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the bar, of auxiliary valve means for controlling the movement of the centralizing device whereby to restore the sheet to its normal path of travel steadily.

Y 6. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination rwith amusic spool and tracker bar and a centralizing del vice operatively connected to one of. said members for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the bar, or" an auxiliary valve connected to said device and operable therewith for effecting a resist ance to sudden movement ot the centralizing tracker bar having the usual openings'if'or registry with the music sheet perforations and supplemental openings, a pneumatic "provided with separate tension chambers each operatively connected to the auxiliary bar openings, and a movable'member, means operated by said movable member toreffecting relative movement between the usic I sheet and the bar, and control means for regulating the admission of atmosphere into one of said chambers when the tension'in the other chamber is affected by one of the auxiliary bar openings becoming operative through abnormal travel of the music sheet.

8. in music tra king device of the class descri d, the combina ion of a music spool,

a tracks bar having the .usual openings for registr J with the musicv sheet perforations and. supplemental openings, a pneumatic provided with separate tension chambers, and a movable member, control'means for said pneumatic with which said auxiliary openings areconnected, means operated by bar openings, and a movable member, said pneumatic chambers having passages open- "iig to atmosphere, and control means for regulating the admission of atmosphere into said passages comprising a valve operated by the movable member.

'10. In a music tracking device of the class ed, the combination of music spool, er bar having the usual openings for registry with the music sheet perforations d sup emental openings, a pneumatic proh s )arate tension chambers each onnected to the auxiliary bar 1 nd a movable member, said pneunaving passages opening to nd a valve normally closing the ntrances of said passages and connected to is movable member whereby when the latr is shifted incide t to unbalancing of the nsion in said chambers said valve will more less uncover one of said entrances. In a music tracking device of the class cribed, the combination of a longitudil movable music spool, a tracker bar, means for efiecting relative movement between the music sheet and bar including a pivoted member, and a connection between said pivoted member and the spool having one end connected to the pivoted member relatively near the pivot end of the latter, the opposite end being connected to the spool relatively distant from said pivot end, and

intermediate pivot for said pivoted member.

12. The combination of a tracker having a series of supplemental apertures, spaced music spool spindles, means operably connected with the supplemental apertures and to one of said spindles for producing relative movement between the traveling note sheet and the tracker upon abnormal movement of said sheet, and equalizing tension means comprising a spring at either end of the last mentioned spindle of corresponding tension permitting free action of the last mentioned means. a

13. The combination of a tracker having the usual note orifices and a series of supplemental apertures arranged adjacent to said orifices, the supplemental apertures each overlapping the adjacent note orifice, and a note sheet having note perforations narrower in width than the note orifices whereby the supplemental apertures become operative before the operative area of the note orifice in the sheet is aifected upon the abnormal movement of the note sheet.

14. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination of a music spool, a trackerbar having the usual openings for registry with the music sheet perforations and supplemental openings, a pneumatic provided with separate tension chambers each operatively connected with the auxiliary openings and a movable member, a venting device having communication with the pneumatic chambers aforesaid, and man ual reversing means for operating said device to render the pneumatic inoperative.

15. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination of a music spool, a trackerbar having the usual openings for registry with the music sheet perforations and supplemental openings, a pneumatic provided with separate tension chambers each operatively connected with the auxil iary openings and a movable member, a venting device comprising a valve block having a passage communicating with each of said pneumatic chambers and a valve controlling said passages, and means for operating said valve to vent the chambers and thereby render the pneumatic inoperative.

16. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination of a music spool, a trackerbar having the usual openings for registry with the music sheet perforations and supplemental openings, a pneumatic provided with separate tension chambers each operatively connected with the auxiliary openings and a movable member, a ventingdevice comprising a valve block having a passage communicating with each of said pneumatic chambers and a valve controlling said passages, and a reversing lever for efiecting rewinding of the note sheet arranged to actuate the venting valve simultaneously with the reversal.

17. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with mechanism for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the tracker, of means for producing a retardation of such shifting movement during musical reproduction to prevent jerkiness of action of the shifting mechanism, and means for rendering said shifting mechanism inoperative during non-musical reproduction operation of the note sheet.

18. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with mechanism for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the tracker and valve means for controlling said mechanism, of means for neutralizing the efiectiveness of the mechanism aforesaid operable incident to the operation of said mechanism under control of the valve means, and means operable upon rewinding of the note sheet to render the first mentioned mechanism inoperative.

19. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination with a music spool and tracker bar and a centralizing device operatively connected to one of said members for producing relative movement between the music note sheet and the bar, of auxiliary valve means for controlling the movement of the centralizing device whereby to restore the sheet to its normal path of travel steadily, and a second valve device for rendering said centralizing device inoperative.

20. In a music tracking device of the class described, the combination of a music spool, a tracker bar having the usual openings for registry with the music sheet perforations when the tension in the other chamber is at 7 fected by one of the auxiliary bar openings becoming operative through abnormal travel 10 of the music sheet, and a separate venting device for venting the pneumatic to render it inoperative.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN T. RYDBERG. 

